Ace of Hearts (Twisted Fate x Ashe)
by alberto12
Summary: The cardmaster known as Twisted Fate has always been a cunning man who had a way with women-but what happens when the queen of Freljord, Ashe becomes his main interest? Does the frost archer hold the same feelings for the male? What will become of the pair?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: just a quick heads up to you all! just so there isn't any confusion or accusations thrown at me-I have this exact same story on Wattpad and only recently decided to transfer it on here. Since not everyone has a Wattpad account I thought it would be more convenient and I'd get more helpful tips on here! Well with that aside enjoy!**

All was quiet on this particular night. It was the end of the biggest League match the summoner and champions had ever participated in. Thus, everyone was tired. The summoners returned to their realms and along with that, most of the champions were already coped up in their dorms, sleeping off the numbness they had felt during the match.

Like noted in the previous sentence however-MOST of the champions were in their dorms. Meaning there were a few exceptions. Tonight one of those exceptions happened to be none other than the cardmaster; Twisted Fate himself. The mysterious male sat at a nearby bench, staring ahead at the lonely and quiet park in front of him. Despite the odd feeling of being alone, Fate didn't mind. In fact he almost welcomed the peacefulness he was in.

With a sigh, the male tilted his head upward as he gazed into the sky filled with shining stars. He couldn't help but smirk at the view. "Heh...lady luck sure is smiling upon me tonight" he said in his usual cocky tone.

"Not lucky enough I'd say"

The voice was sudden and unexpected enough that Twisted Fate turned his head to glance over at whom had spoken to him. He was even more surprised when he saw that the voice belonged to the sheriff of Piltover-Caitlyn.

"Ah sheriff. What brings you here? Shouldn't you be at Piltover right around now? The Rift matches are over after all" Fate replied as he tipped his hat for her in a respectful manner. The female merely shrugged her shoulders as she tugged on her strap that held her rifle up behind her shoulder. "I just decided to stay behind a while longer. Besides I come here often actually. This park is almost always empty and I enjoy the peace and quiet."

"That makes two of us" the cardmaster spoke with a nod as he scooted over in the bench he sat in, offering Caitlyn some room.

Taking him up on the offer, the sheriff sat down and crossed her legs, leaning back in her seat and sighing. "That was some match tonight wasn't it, Cardmaster?"

Twisted Fate nodded as he folded his arms and chuckled. "Sure was. Definitely gonna be talked about for some time. But that aside, feel free to call me Fate. Cardmaster is a title that I generally don't feel too attached to."

"I see. Very well then...so tell me Fate, what exactly brings you out here tonight? I've never seen you out here before" the female asks as she tilts her head curiously. To this the cardmaster sighs and pushes his hat over his eyes. "Well...long story short my roommate is always damn noisy around this hour and I can't stand to be there when that happens. I'm hoping by the time I come back it'll be nice and quiet."

"Roommate you say? So you live in the dorms provided by the League?" Caitlyn asked, her attention entirely on Fate. "That's right. I'm sure there were other options like Bilgewater but I thought this would be the easiest and most straight forward" the male replied as he shrugged, telling her it was something he didn't particularly think of much.

Standing up, the female sheriff stretches and gives a tiring yawn. "Anyways...I think I'm gonna call it a night and head back to Piltover. Been a long day as you're well aware" Caitlyn told the male as she smirked lightly and turned on her heels, walking off. "See ya around sheriff" Fate replied as he tipped his hat at her and smiled, leaning forward in his seat to watch her leave until he was once again alone.

The male remained by himself enjoying the silence for another few minutes before deciding to head back to the dorms. With a yawn, he approached the front door to his particular dorm and turned the knob, peeking inside. "Ya still awake?"

When he recieved no reply he simply rolled his eyes and shut the door behind him to answer his own question. "I'll take that as a no then."

Immediately after the door shut however, two arms flung around the cardmaster's neck, knocking him back against the door with a loud grunt. The force of the sudden assault had been enough to knock off his hat as it trailed off to the ground revealing his long straightened hair.

"I missed you Fate~" a female voice said in a seductive tone. With a sigh, the male turned his head to the side and rolled his eyes. "So you were awake then huh?"

"Of course I was! How could I fall asleep knowing my big strong man isn't around to protect me?" the female giggled as her fox ears perched up happily. Shaking his head, Twisted Fate put his hands on Ahri's waist and slightly pushes her away. "Look now's not the time for this...it's been a long day and I'm still sore from my previous match."

"I can make you fee better" the female purred as her tails wagged happily and she pressed her chest against his. With a slight chuckle, Fate ran his fingers through his hair. "A generous offer...in fact one I'd be more than willing to accept on most occasions. But tonight just isn't the night for that Ahri. Besides, you know I like to keep things exclusive in relationships so unless you wanna commit I don't think-" the cardmaster began only to be cut off as the female brushed her lips by his.

She pouts cutely and pokes his nose. "You talk too much~"

With a sigh, the male gave up and waved her off as he lazily wandered to his bed. "Anyways...I think I'm ready to call it a night. Please keep it down for once please? I really need the rest tonight" Twisted Fate said as politely as possible before climbing into bed. He wasn't normally so generous this late at night but the fact that he was this sore and worn out from his match showed just how badly he needed this nights rest.

As if ignoring his words, Ahri climbed into bed with Fate and continued purring while she rested her hands by his upper thigh. "Come on Fate don't be like that. I'm in the mood for some fun tonight~"

Unimpressed and even more annoyed by the second, the male turned on his side and shoved the pillow over his face as he groaned. "Ahri please...not tonight." Frowning in defeat, the female succubus removed her hands from the male and folded her arms, pouting childishly.

It took Fate all his willpower to ignore the female as she remained on his bed making immature noises for nearly five minutes. _Why did I decide to have Ahri as my roommate?_

It wasn't until a few moments later that Fate had fallen asleep when he noticed something odd. He wasn't sure if it was part of his dream but he could swear there was an odd sensation coming from his crotch area. His eyes slowly drifted open and soon widened as he saw Ahri unzipping him.

"A-Ahri!? What are you doing!"

"What's it look like! I'm gonna make you feel good, Fate!" Ahri licked her lips seductively as she stared down at the male's bulge that sprung free from his pants as she unzipped him. With a giggle, the female purred. "Oh my, look at it Fate I made it happy~"

The male could feel his face swell up with embarrassment. He couldn't lie and tell Ahri that he didn't want it-because God knew he did. But it was more that he couldn't. His rest was more important at a time like this no matter how promising Ahri would prove in bed. "I told you already I can't...! Ahri come on quit it!" Fate snapped as he tried to pull his pants back up.

But from the looks of it, the fox looking female was persistent and wouldn't hear him. "You need to relax Fate. It's not like I'm gonna hurt you or anything" Ahri giggled as she swatted his hands away so she could gaze upon his member. It was by sheer luck that the doorbell suddenly rang, springing Fate into action as he quickly took the distraction to zip up his pants and sprint to the door. "I got it" the male murmured quietly as he proceeded to open the front door.

He was awfully surprised to see the frost archer from Freljord standing directly before him. She wore her usual hooded cloak but from the looks of it her bow wasn't on her at the moment.

"Ashe," Fate nodded at her briefly, leaning against the door. "What brings you to the dorms this fine hour?"

The female was silent for a moment as though trying to find the words to reply to his question. "I just wanted to stop by and thank you today. You were rather helpful in our match earlier today."

Fate couldn't help but grin at her comment. "Well I appreciate that. Not very often I hear compliments like that." He paused for a moment and rubbed his bearded chin before adding, "but coming all this way just to thank me for that? Seems odd even for you Ashe. Surely there's another reason."

At this, an eminent blush crept across the female's face as she looked away. He had figured her out so quickly. With a sigh she played with a strand of her silver hair and glanced back at him. "Very well...you wish to know why I stopped by? I...I was wondering if you had plans tomorrow evening. There's going to be a Pentakill concert after the Rift matches and was wondering if you'd like to come."

The cardmaster smirked lightly and let out a chuckle. "Oh dear...are you asking me on a date missy?"

Ashe could feel her face go red but she managed to hide it from him as she pulled her hood further over her face. "That's...one way of seeing it."

"Amusing. Never figured you for the type of gal to be interested in Pentakill," Fate replied as he folded his arms and offered a cunning smile. "So to answer your question no I'm not busy tomorrow and I'll take you up on that offer."

"That's good to hear...I'll meet you here tom-" Ashe began but stopped as Fate put his hand up. "No need to do that darlin' I can come pick you up. It's common sense for a gentleman to do so after all."

The frost archer paused for a moment before breaking off into a small giggle. "Alright then as you wish. I'll see you at Freljord then?"

"Of course" Fate nodded as he smiled and bowed slightly, waving goodbye as Ashe finally walked off. As soon as he shut the door however he could hear Ahri groaning. "You're leaving me all alone tomorrow?"

Sighing, the cardmaster turned around and shrugged. "Hey I'm sure you have other ways to keep yourself busy. Besides you can come along if you wish, I can't stop you. I'm sure there's still tickets around. 'Sides aren't you friends with Sona? She can get you tickets right? She's a member of Pentakill after all" Twisted Fate explained to the succubus as he walked over to his bed.

"I guess you're right" Ahri mumbled as she crossed her legs and pouted, still upset that Fate didn't let her please him tonight. Laying down, the male turned on his side and smirked. "I'll make it up to you tomorrow alright?"

"Promise?"

"Promise."

With that, the female lay down beside the male, snuggling up into his side. Even though Fate knew she had her own bed he wasn't complaining. All he wanted now was peaceful sleep to swoop him away from reality. And in a manner of minutes it did.


	2. Chapter 2

"Guess who got tickets!~" Ahri boasted as she shoved the two Pentakill tickets in Fate's face. The male tipped his hat and glanced to the side, letting out a small chuckle. "So you actually got 'em huh?"

The female nodded and purred happily as she glanced back at the tickets. Sitting up straight on the couch, Fate folded his arms. "Sona?"

"Yup" Ahri nodded, confirming to the male that the mute member of Pentakill had gotten her the tickets. "But why do you have two tickets? Didn't ya only need one for yourself?" the cardmaster asked, tilting his head to the side. "Well the concert wouldn't be fun if I went alone, silly! I'm going with a date!" Ahri explained as she put her hands on her hips.

"A date huh? Who did you have in mind?" Fate asked, curious as to who would peak Ahri's interest. The female taps her chin and ponders for a moment. "How about Twitch~?"

"T-Twitch? The plague rat...?" Fate asked in a baffled tone that told Ahri he was indeed surprised by her choice. "Yeah! Why, do you not like him?" the female tilted her head to the side as she stared at the cardmaster.

"No no its not that...it's just...I'm surprised is all" Twisted Fate replied as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Ahri and Twitch? That was odd indeed. Even so he didn't question it and wandered into the bathroom to check himself in the mirror. Thankfully he didn't have a match today so he was free to prepare for the concert earlier than Ashe whom had the worst of luck considering she had a match to participate in.

Checking himself in the mirror, Fate rubbed his chin and turned his head to side, glancing at his facial hair. "Hmm...should I shave? Nah, the ladies love the beard" he said to himself with a grin as he began to comb his hair back, keeping his long hair straightened. After a brief moment, Ahri walked in with a smile on her face. "Aren't you looking handsome~"

"Darlin' aren't I always?" he replied with a smirk as he began to adjust the tie he was going to wear, staring at the mirror intently and making sure it was perfect. The fox looking female raised a brow as she leaned against the bathroom door. "Fate how long has it been since you've been on a date? I mean honestly you're trying too hard."

"I am not! And I'll have you know it hasn't been that long. Only been a few months since my last date alright?" the male protested as he reached over to try on his coat that had been on the counter. "Uh-huh whatever you say~" Ahri replied with a giggle as she shrugged and walked off, her tails perched up happily as they trailed behind her.

Several minutes later, the cardmaster emerged from the bathroom and as Ahri glanced at him, she couldn't help but blush. He was definitely a lot more handsome than usual-his attire consisted of a night black coat and slacks, along with a neat collared shirt that was held together by the bright red tie he wore. "So how do I look?" Twisted Fate asked as he grinned at the blushing female.

The succubus giggles as she claps her hands together and purrs. "Not bad at all cardmaster, not bad at all. You've outdone yourself as always. I'm sure Ashe will love it. Still, I am surprised you're going all out."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Ahri tapped her chin and hers ears perched up. "For starters you're going to a Pentakill concert dressed like some fancy goody too shoes! Not to mention that your attire looks expensive! Seriously, where on earth did you get the money for that!"

"Heh...what can I say, gambling pays off every now and then. Especially when lady luck smiles upon me. Trust me, getting the money ain't hard" Fate told her as he walked over to the bed where his trademark hat lay. "You're gonna bring that hat with you? I really don't see why you do" the female said while tilting her head to the side.

Fate grinned as he placed his hat on top of his head. "I've grown rather attached to this hat in case you haven't already noticed. Never leave home without it."

With a shrug, the female went into the bathroom to tidy up for the concert. "You go on ahead Fate! I'm gonna stay behind for a bit and get ready!"

Grinning, the cardmaster wasted no time going to pick up Ashe. In fact he decided if he were to go to her, why not go in style? He couldn't help but chuckle as he began to use Destiny in order to teleport to Freljord. Many may have called him lazy for doing such a thing but it sure saved time considering how far the frozen kingdom was from the dorms.

It was then however that he soon realized his utter mistake. He should have brought a jacket-a thick one in fact.

Having never once set foot in Freljord, Fate immediately felt the effect of the cold wind and shivered in place, his breath coming out shallow. "S-Shit...didn't plan this through..."

"What's the matter Fate? A little too cold for your liking?"

The voice was none other than the frost archer herself-Ashe. She smirked lightly as she approached the male with her hands on her hips. The cardmaster was surprised when he saw her attire was different than usual. Unlike her normal hooded cloak, she wore a black Pentakill top along with slim jeans. It was definitely a rare sight to see the queen of Freljord in such attire.

"Huh...you look...stunning" Fate replied after a moment of eyeing her. "You're not so bad yourself. Although I'm surprised you're planning on wearing that to a concert such as this" Ashe relied with a giggle as she stood by his side, her arms behind her back.

"Hey I gotta look good wherever I go, darlin'. Now let's get out of here please...too damn cold for my liking. I don't see how you can stand it" the male murmured under his chilling breath as he prepared to use Destiny once more, this time grasping Ashe's hand so she would teleport with him.

The female giggled at how Fate was shivering in place. "Lucky you have this ability aren't you?"

"Yeah yeah" he muttered quietly as they soon teleported to their destination and were outside the stadium Pentakill was performing at. Glancing around, the cardmaster could see large banners surrounding the stadium that had the all knowing symbol of the Pentakill band with pictures of their members in front of it.

Surprisingly, there was a large crowd of champions heading towards the stadium. Twisted Fate glanced at a few of the champions and was suprised at how many of them were into Pentakill. To his right for example he caught sight of Nidalee and Rengar walking together engaged in deep conversation. To his left he caught sight of a trio that consisted of three shadow isles residents-Thresh, Kalista, and Hecarim. Each of whom held a sign supporting their favorite member of Pentakill.

Fate couldn't help but feel out of place in the entirety of the situation he was in. Not only was he overdressed but he also looked like he was the only one who had never once listened to Pentakill before. Even so however he smiled at Ashe and made his way to the entrance with her.

"Faaaaate~!"

Turning around as he heard his name, he nearly didn't recognize his female roommate in the attire she was in. From head to toe she was dressed in full black clothing consisting of a similar top Ashe wore as well as torn black jeans and combat boots.

"Ahri...? You certainly look...different" the cardmaster managed to say as she approached him. "Well duh! It's Pentakill! I love their muic!" the succubus said rather excitedly.

"Oh! And this here is my date-Twitch" the female added as she motioned for her partner whom was to her left. Although he wasn't the tallest creature ever, the plague rat was definitely bigger than Fate had expected. Unlike Ahri however he didn't seem to wear any Pentakill clothing so he felt somewhat relieved. That relief soon turned back on him as he saw Twitch holding a sign with Mordekaiser in his Pentakill outfit.

"Hey...how do you do?" Fate said tipping his hat in respect for the other male. Twitch's whiskers perched up slightly at being addressed by the cardmaster. "Better than usual I suppose. Not every day a beautiful woman comes up to you and invites you to a Pentakill concert."

Chuckling, Fate nodded in approval. He too could relate to that scenario. Ahri couldn't help but giggle at being called beautiful by the male rat. Hugging his neck, she purred happily. "Isn't he just the sweetest little thing?"

"Ah come on Ahri I'm not that little" Twitch grumbled as he nudged into her, grinning lightly as he revealed his rather scary looking teeth. With a smile, Ashe stepped forward to present herself. "Hey, you two should join us. Would be nice to have a group to talk to."

Ahri and her date nodded almost immediately. "Sure thing! The more the merrier right?" the fox looking female spoke out happily as her tails perched up. "Not like I get many people to talk to anyways. So I don't see why not" Twitch said with a shrug. And so the group of four would head inside towards the stadium, although once inside saw how crazy the concert would be. The stage itself was empty with a mere microphone stand at the front while the champions inside had begun changing in unison, "Pentakill! Pentakill!"

The lighting was crazy-flashing lights of all different colors going on and off from time to time. "Now this is a concert worth my time" Twitch spoke out rather loudly so his voice could be heard over the sound of all the voices and noise. "Yeah! Woohoo, Pentakill!" Ahri cheered loudly as her arms went up and she began making rock n roll symbols.

Suddenly the crowd roared with excitement as the lead singer of Pentakill-Karthus came out followed by the rest of the band. Shrieking in amusement, Ahri cups her hands together and yells out, "Sona! You rock!"

Going up to the mic, Karthus grins and points at the crowd. "Are you ready for Pentakill!?"

The crowd yells back in response, everyone with their hands up as they began to pump their fists in the air. Fate was entirely taken aback, seeing as how hyped everyone was. Even Ashe who was next to him had her hands up as though wanting more.

"Time to slaughter you lot with our sick fucking music! Ya ready for this punks!?" Karthus yells out once more, receiving a louder reply this time. "Alright, let's rock Pentakill!"

With that, Mordekaiser-the lead guitarist began with a long intro riff while soon Sona and Yorick joined in with their instruments too until finally the song reached its climax and went full on hardcore as Olaf began to rock out on bass.

Ashe and Ahri were both jumping up and down with joy, having the time of their life. Even Twitch was grinning widely as he laughed from amusement and raised his fists in the air. From the looks of it, Fate was the only one who was standing still and not really doing anything. Noticing this, Ashe took hold of his hands and smiled widely at him. "Come on Fate don't be so lame! This is a rock concert after all! Let yourself go wild!"

"Er...sorry darlin' this kind of stuff ain't my style. Heck I'm surprised a queen like you is into this" the cardmaster replied loudly in order for Ashe to hear him through the screams of the crowd. "Even a queen like me has to relax and have fun every now and then don't you think?" She replied with a smile as she began jumping up and down to the music, still holding Fate's hands.

"True enough but-hey hey come on I'm no good at this kind of stuff!" the cardmaster protested as he was forced to jump together with her. It was difficult at first but after a few songs, Fate finally got the hang of it and continued to rock out with Ashe.

To their right, Ahri and Twitch seemed to be enjoying themselves as thy had begun headbanging. It had been a long time indeed since the cardmaster had enjoyed himself as much as this.

Hours later after the concert ended, the group consisting of Twisted Fate Ashe, Ahri, and Twitch left the stadium. "That was so fun guys! I'm so glad Sona got me those tickets!" Ahri said happily as her tails wagged excitedly. "Indeed I must say that was worth going to" Twitch nodded approvingly as he grinned.

"What did you think, Fate?" Ashe asked the male whom was walking rather awkwardly due to how sore he was. "Well my legs are killing me and I'm sweating worse than usual...but that aside, it wasn't so bad" he smiled at the female and tipped his hat at her. With a smile, Ashe quickly embraced the male. Caught off guard, Twisted Fate just stared down at the frost archer for a moment before hugging her back.

"Thank for coming along Fate" the young queen said softly as she beamed up at the male with joy. "No problem darlin'. I'd gladly do it again. Just say the word and I'm there" he replied, flashing her a grin. For a moment, the pair remained silent as they awkwardly stared at each other. Then catching sight of Braum and a few others from Freljord, Ashe waved at Fate. "I should be going now. Will be a lot easier with other champions from Freljord. See you around."

With a nod, the male waved back and then turned to look at Ahri and froze. As soon as he saw her, he couldn't help but feel a bitter feeling in his stomach. She was completely engaged in making out with the plague rat. Right in front of him.

Turing away he sighed. "Of all the things to see...this is at the top of my list of things I wanna erase..."

Moments later however the succubus had returned to her roommate's side and was grinning from ear to ear. "You jelaous?"

"Huh? Of what? You kissing Twitch? Trust me...jealousy isn't it" the cardmaster replied as he rolled his eyes.

Fate couldn't help but groan as he opened the door to the dorm and nearly fell from exhaustion on his bed. "What a day...damn...never been so worn out from something that wasn't a match at the Rift."

"You don't get out often enough if you're getting tired from that" Ahri said with a giggle as she too climbed in bed with Fate and stretched. The cardmaster let's out a chuckle as he removes his hat and rubs his eyes, yawning. "Perhaps you're right about that darlin'. Heck I do need to get out more often."

"Fate."

"Hmm?" The male glanced up at Ahri and felt his eyes slightly widen as she female had begun to slide off her top and was inching towards him. For a moment, Fate was frozen as though unsure what to do in the situation. The female had her hands on his chest the next second and was gazing into his eyes lustfully. "You promised...remember?"

"I...yeah. I did" Twisted Fate replied quietly with a nod, still unmoving from his spot. He knew he couldn't protest because it was true he had promised her, but oddly enough he didn't want to do this for some reason. There was no denying Ahri was a beautiful young woman and he would have made love to her any other day. But tonight was different. He had shared a bonding moment with Ashe-one that he felt he wanted to continue. So to do this felt wrong.

Yet as the succubus cupped his cheeks and kissed him, he didn't push away. He didn't tell her to stop. In fact he slid his arms around her waist and returned the kiss.

So many questions were buzzing through his head at the moment. _Should I really be doing this? Promise or no promise I'm pretty interested in Ashe after tonight. What if she feels the same? Shit...I'm getting ahead of myself...fuck it._

With a sigh, the male began to loosen his tie while Ahri unbuckled his pants and kissed his neck. In a manner of seconds both roommates were completely bare and naked. They shared a passionate and long kiss before pulling apart to gaze into each other's eyes.

"I think it's my turn to please ya don't you think darlin'?" Fate said with a smirk as he leaned in and gently bit down on Ahri's neck, nibbling on her soft warm skin. The female lets out a quiet moan as her hands slide around Fate's neck. "Take me..." she whispers seductively, her eyes fluttering shut.

"Can do darlin'. Can do..." the male whispered back with a nod as he climbed over her and entangled their fingers together.

Moans and panting filled the room over the course of their love making. The aroma of sweat and skin was the only smell that could be processed while Fate and Ahri continued throughout the night. It would be almost an hour later until the couple finished their lust filled activity. Ironically, Fate found himself even more sore and worn out than he'd ever been in his life. Yet as usual, laying down, naked and under the covers with Ahri asleep in his arms he grinned. "Now this kind of soreness is the kind I can get used to."


	3. Chapter 3

"You can't be serious?" Fiora uttered in shock as she raised a brow, looking at her friend Ashe with disbelief.

The frost archer sighed and shook her head. "I am serious. What's so wrong with that anyways? I had a good time last night and he's the reason for it."

The pair wandered the streets of Demacia, not paying any mind to other champions or citizens who passed by. It had been a surprise to the grand duelist when the queen of Freljord herself wished to speak with her.

"He's nothing but a thief and gambler. He's from Bilgewater, you know how people like him are" Fiora assured the other female as they continued walking. "You think he only behaved so kindly towards me so he could trick me?" Ashe asked as she stared at Fiora curiously.

The proud duelist nodded and flipped her hair back. "Of course. You are the queen of Freljord after all. Who wouldn't wish to strip you of that title? By doing so he would spread his distasteful name as the one who defeated and tricked you."

The young queen pondered for a moment as though processing what had just been told to her. Fate's actions last night had seemed sincere more than anything but the more the thought, the more Fiora's words made sense. The man was a gambler after all. Was this all part of a wager? Trying to get close to her in an attempt to stab her in the back later?

After a moment, the pair stopped walking and seeing how Ashe was still processing everything, Fiora put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry yourself. If you'd like I can talk to him myself and make him admit his intentions."

"I don't know if that'd be such a good idea...I wouldn't want to trouble you with that anyways" Ashe replied as she shook her head and glanced to the side. "Oh come on now Ashe. A queen like you shouldn't have to deal with a mere pest like _him_ " Fiora replies as she folds her arms.

"How exactly do you plan on getting him to reveal his intentions anyways?" Ashe asked as she let out a sigh. To this the grand duelist smirked and rubbed her chin. "Leave it to me, _mademoiselle_."

It had been a rather long day indeed for the cardmaster. He was completely worn out from his earlier match and was finally heading back to the dorms. As he approached the door however something caught his eye. There was a letter laying directly at his feet and from the looks of it, it was intended for him. Kneeling down, Fate picks up the letter and opens his front door, heading inside before opening the letter. "Let's see here...who would possibly be kind enough to-" he began but stopped as his eyes hovered throughout the letter and he could already see whom it was from even before getting to the end. With a smirk, he sat on the edge of his bed and began to read through it carefully this time, wondering what it was that Ashe wanted. In short, the letter read as follows: " _dear Twisted Fate, I'm grateful for your kindness towards me and even more so after our date last night. If you're not busy I was thinking perhaps we could go for a stroll on the streets of Demacia? Not like you can say no to a queen anyways. Sincerely, Ashe-the queen of Freljord._ "

"Heh..." the male couldn't help but chuckle at what Ashe had said. "She has a point. I can't exactly say no to royalty." Shrugging, Fate stood up and let the letter stay on his bed while he prepared to travel to Demacia. As usual he would be traveling via Destiny since it was the quickest way he knew. The trouble with that however was that he didn't visit Demacia enough to know the area so once he had been able to teleport, he was completely lost.

Sighing, the male tipped his hat and began to wander around the massive city. "Well now...this sure is troubling." With each step the cardmaster took, the smaller he felt. He had never realized how large the city itself was. As he glanced around he couldn't help but marvel at the massive buildings surrounding Demacia. It was at this particular moment that he felt something cold and sharp press up against the side of his neck.

"Don't move."

Twisted Fate grinned, although he obeyed the familiar voice. "Alright alright whatever you say. But is that any way to treat an old friend, Fiora?"

As he spoke, the blade pressed inward on his neck, slightly cutting the male as as drop of blood dripped onto her shining weapon. "We. Are not. Friends" the female snapped as her eyes narrowed, giving Fate a cold stare. "So you say. But if we aren't friends why haven't you slit my throat yet?" Fate inquired in a calm tone. "Because I have some questions for you, _monsieur_ " Fiora muttered as she slowly pulled her blade back and wiped the drop of blood of with a handkerchief.

"What kind of questions?" Twisted Fate asked as he pressed his finger tips against his neck, letting out a sigh. "Ones that involve my dear friend Ashe. The queen of Freljord that you're so interested in" the duelist replied as she kept her blade at her side, almost as though certain Fate would try to attack her. When the male simply looked at her, she shook her head and sighed. " _Imbecile..._ I'm asking you what your intentions with Ashe are? What are you really after? _"_

The cardmaster couldn't help but sigh as though disappointed by what Fiora said. "That's what this is about? You want to know about that?"

"Yes! I do! Now answer me! I don't have time for your games!" the grand duelist snapped as her blade raised and she aimed directly at his chest. Raising his hands up, Fate took a step back. "Hey now lets not do something we'll regret. You wanna know so bad then fine I'll tell you."

"Hmph..." the female lowered her blade and flipped her hair back, awaiting for the male to answer her. "I mean I don't get why you care so much about this anyways but long story short I'm interested in her alright?" Fate explained as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. Judging from the look that Fiora gave him, she wasn't buying it. Rolling his eyes, the male folded his arms and sighed heavily. "If you don't believe me that's not my problem. I don't get what your deal with me is to begin with so-" Fate had begun to rant only to be stopped as the female quickly lunged forward and suddenly her blade was an inch from his throat.

" _Imbecile!_ Have you forgotten your little scheme you pulled on me? Because I haven't" Fiora snapped with a look of immense hatred in her eyes. Chuckling nervously, the male remained still and didn't dare move. He had to choose his next words carefully or he'd end up dead on the streets of Demacia. In a way it was a gamble to try and find the right words to get out of his situation. "Ah come on now you're still mad about that darlin'? It was meant as a harmless joke. Didn't think you'd make a big deal out of it."

"It doesn't matter whether it was harmless or not! You damaged my pride and honor that day with your lowly scheme...Now its time to repay you for what you did!" the grand duelist boasted and Fate suddenly realized he hadn't chosen his words properly. _Well shit, this looks like it'll be the end of me..._

"What have we here? The arrogant blabbering duelist and the swindling gambler!"

For once Twisted Fate was caught off guard. Although he recognized the voice as one of the champions, it was one that he hadn't expected to be his savior and better yet-one he never would have thought would walk the streets of Demacia. Even Fiora stopped dead in her tracks to turn her head towards the voice. One of the most well known champions of the Shadow Isles-Thresh the chain warden stood before them. Oddly enough it appeared that Sona; maven of the strings was standing next to him. A coincidence? Or perhaps they were together? It didn't matter, what did was that an undead male had interrupted Fate's possible execution and Fiora was not happy about it. "This doesn't concern you warden! Leave at once and I'll pretend I didn't hear you!" the female said coldly as she turned to look back at Fate with her blade raised.

"Oh? Well perhaps I want to be heard! Besides you can't deny the truth! You're just a sad little girl obsessed with restoring what-honor? Please!" Thresh snorted and suddenly broke off into laughter but stopped as Sona tugged on his arm and shook her head at him. Scoffing, the warden looked to the side and sneered. "What? Even you should know its true, my dear."

"Uh...pardon me but-are you and Sona...?" Twisted Fate began, pointing at Thresh and the blue haired maven. "Are we what? Together? Bah!" the chain warden cackles with uncontrollable laughter as he clutched his own face. "You mean you don't know? I would have thought a sneaky rodent such as yourself knew these things. But well to put it in your perspective-Sona is my slave" the undead warden replied with a wide grin spread across his face.

As if trying to confirm this, Fate looked to Sona and was shocked when she nodded. Her facial expression didn't show fear however so the male found it odd what their true relationship was. It was at this particular moment that Fiora had sprung into action, her blade jabbing forward towards Thresh's skull. The chain warden was lucky enough to turn his head to the side and avoid the blow. "Interrupting our conversation now, are we?" Thresh muttered with a scowl on his face as he clenched his lantern tightly. His green flames seemed to grow brighter and enlarge as though the male was angered.

"You won't be so lucky dodging my attack next time" Fiora snapped as she took a step back prepared to strike again. Growling lowly, Thresh took a step forward and extended his arms, his lantern and scythe brought forward. "Do you really wish to die here in your own beloved city, you miserable wench?" the warden spat out as he prepared to lunge his scythe at her.

"As if someone like me could ever lose to the likes of-hey!" the duelist started to speak but ended up crying out as Twisted Fate knocked her down from behind. " _Connard!_ What do you think you're doing!?" Fiora demanded as she struggled underneath the cardmaster. "Relax already, idiot. Do you really wanna start a fight here of all places and with him? He's already dead what good can you do?" Fate told the female, trying to get her to stop.

"Dead or not I'm still gonna wipe that smirk off his face! He disrespected me!" Fiora cried out as she kicked Fate off her and got to her feet, soon facing Thresh again.

The undead warden couldn't help but grin at the female's actions. "Your bravery is admired. Or so I would say if I was a fool! You'll die here for being so stubborn and not seeing the difference in our strength!"

Right before both champions could attack each other however, Sona quickly jumped in between them without any regard for her own safety. Fate wanted to yell and warn them all but his mouth merely hung open as both Thresh and Fiora stopped inches before hitting Sona. "Tch...you fool! Trying to get yourself killed? What use are you dead?" the warden snapped as he grabbed the maven's wrist and violently pulled her away. "That's no way to treat a woman, warden. Its one thing to disrespect me and another to mistreat a woman!" Fiora stated as she took a step back, getting in a offensive stance. Once in her stance however, she remained frozen in place as a yellow card covered in aura blew past her face, slicing a strand of her hair.

"That's enough," Fate muttered as he tipped his hat and stepped forward, having his deck of cards out ready to attack anyone who made a wrong move. "Honestly darlin' you're more stubborn than the warden himself and he's already undead. 'Sides wasn't your objective to question me? I don't see how this benefits either of us."

Gritting her teeth, Fiora took a step back and lowered her weapon, turning away from Thresh. "I'm only sparing you because the cardmaster and I have unfinished business to attend."

"You think I'm just gonna let you get away with that? You're mistaken! I'll rip apart your-" Thresh stopped as the mute maven hugged him from behind and shook her head. With a sigh, the undead male turned away as well. "Tch...you're supposed to be my slave, fool. Quit acting more than that!" he muttered as he went off on his own way with Sona trailing behind him.

Glaring up at Fate, the grand duelist shakes her head. "I could have taken him."

"Yeah yeah whatever you say darlin'. But honestly now ain't the time for quarrels with undead beings from the Shadow Isles" Twisted Fate replies as he twirls his deck of cards in his hands. Fiora remained quiet for a moment much to Fate's surprise so he went on. "Anyways, I need to find Ashe. She wanted to meet with me. Was hoping you knew where to find her."

"Oh you mean the letter? That wasn't from her. That was me. I wanted to find out your true intentions for her so I decided to lure you here" Fiora explained as she flipped her hair back and gave the male a look that told him she didn't really feel bad at all. "Seriously? Heh...I can't complain. Hey at least you got me back right? Tricked a swindler who specializes in this kind of stuff" the male replied with a smirk on his face. "But I can tell you where Ashe is if you really want to know. She's here in Demacia actually. Should still be here...she said she was going to be walking around for a bit" the duelist told him as she glanced at the male with a less intimidating look.

The cardmaster smiled, returning his deck of cards under his coat. "I would appreciate that."

Nodding, Fiora pointed to her left. "She headed off that way. If anything she's most likely by the nearest restaurant or bar."

"Thanks for the help darlin'. You're pretty cute when you're not threatening me all the time" Fate laughed as he quickly ran off before Fiora could hit him. The duelist's face did indeed go red from embarrassment but she merely watched as the male ran off and let out a sigh. " _O mon dieu_...that idiot."

Fiora had been correct when she said Ashe would be near a restaurant or bar. In fact, the queen of Freljord was heading out as she had just exited a restaurant. The silver haired female rubbed her stomach and glanced around the beautiful city of Demacia. "Food was certainly worth it..."

It was rather uncomfortable for Ashe when she wandered the city. Much of that reason was because people whispered her name as she passed by as though she were some sort of legend. Sure she was the queen of Freljord but the amount of gossip going around was ridiculous. With a sigh, she quickly walked into an alley and leaned against the wall. Pulling her hood down, the female glanced up at the sky and began to daydream.

"Ashe-the frost archer. The queen of Freljord. The snow haired beauty. Well so people say...heh."

Jolting slightly at the sudden voice, Ashe turned her head to glance further down the alley to see a large armored individual. As he stepped forward she could now see it was exactly who she feared it would be. The iron revenant-Mordekaiser. Backing away, the female reached for her bow only for her wrist to be grabbed by a large and cold hand. "Now now...reaching for a weapon are we? That's not something you do in the presence of Mordekaiser" said the four legged champion who bore the title of "Shadow of War".

 _Hecarim and Mordekaiser? What on earth is this?_ Ashe tried to pull her arm back as she began panicking but found Hecarim's grip to be too tight on her. "Resistance is futile. Accept your fate, _queen_ " the four legged steed spoke out in his usual harsh tone.

"Easy now Hecarim. She's not any use to us dead. We need her alive for our plan to succeed" the large undead male spoke, his red eyes glowing in fascination as he glanced at Ashe. "Ah yes of course Mordekaiser. I apologize. I hardly know my own strength against mere insects such as these" the centaur replied as he released Ashe's wrist only to shove her down to the pavement.

Both undead men towered over the queen, their presences alone intimidating her. Even if she managed to reach for her bow, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to react fast enough to stop them before they noticed. And even if she did manage to catch one off guard, she doubted she'd stand a chance against them both. So as a last resort, the silver haired female opened her mouth to scream for help.

Noticing this, the Shadow of War brought his hooves up, one of them colliding with Ashe's face as he knocks the queen back against the wall of the alley. The impact was enough to knock Ashe unconscious in a manner of seconds. Her vision became a blur and her head hung low from the blow, blood dripping from the corner of her chin.

"Fool! That could have killed her! What did I just get through saying to you!" Mordekaiser roared in an enraged tone, piercing the pavement with his mallet as a sign of his sudden rage. Although somewhat intimidated, Hecarim managed to remain calm as he faced the revenant. "Worry not, Mordekaiser I was sure to hold back on the blow. I purposely hit her to the point that she'd be knocked unconscious."

Growling lowly, the armored male bent down to pick Ashe up. "If she ends up dead that's on your head, Hecarim."

"Of course, Mordekaiser. I'll pay with my life. I live to serve you" the four legged centaur replied as he bowed slightly and the pair began to leave the scene.

Their actions didn't go unnoticed however. Standing in the distance, staring directly into the alley was a certain individual who had been searching for Ashe. The cardmaster. Even now after seeing what had transpired he still couldn't believe his eyes. "Did they seriously just kidnap the queen of Freljord...?" the male asked himself in disbelief as he stood in place with his jaw dropped.


	4. Chapter 4

Bilgewater-the damp and mysterious island inhabited by the most cunning and bizarre champions. On this particular night however something was different. A lone individual sat on a creaking wooden chair, cigar between his lips. The fireplace in front of him was lit and the flames danced and bounced calmly in the male's gaze. The aroma of tobacco filled the room as the lit cigar gave off a trail of smoke at its end.

It wasn't a surprise to the male that the floorboards were creaking as usual and the room was dead silent. But what did come as a surprise was how often the floorboards creaked. In all his life of living in the same hideout in Bilgewater, he had memorized the pattern of the creaking floor. _One, two, creak. One, two, three, creak. One, two, creak._

Yet it was different tonight. Something in the pattern was off. That in itself could only mean one thing for the infamous outlaw known as Graves-there's a damn intruder.

He quickly turned around, his arm raised and finger already at the trigger of his double barrel shotgun. Although he couldn't see the face of the shadowy figure standing before him, he knew for a fact it was a champion from the island. "Before I set your ass blazing, how about you tell me how you found this place?" Graves grunted as he spit out his cigar and narrowed his eyes.

"Well its the only place you've ever really told me about, Malcolm. Do you honestly think anyone else could find this?" the cardmaster spoke as he revealed himself before his ex partner in crime. As if seeing a ghost, the bearded male lowered his shotgun and felt his jaw drop. "Tobias...? What in God's name are you doing here?"

"Well long story short, I need your help" Fate said in a voice that told Graves he truly was desperate. "Ya know when you say it like that it makes it sound like I was a last resort. But if this is another heist you need to-"

"It's not a heist," Tobias said shaking his head as he removed his hat. "Something happened and you're the only guy I know who I trust enough." For a moment, Graves stood in silence as though wondering whether or not this would be worth his time. After the brief pause however, the bearded man sighed and shook his head. "I really wish you'd tell me more about what this is about but knowing you, I doubt you'll say more. But just this once I guess I'll lend a hand. Where we headed and how much firepower do we need?"

Smirking, Fate tips his hat and turns on his heels as he begins walking off. "To the Shadow Isles...and bring all of it."

"To the Shadow-for fuck's sake Tobias what are you dragging me into?" Malcolm spat out as his jaw hung open. He'd only ever been to the Shadow Isles twice in his life and he could honestly say it was somewhere he'd rather not visit again. "You'll see soon enough," Fate replied as he twirled his deck of cards that were in his hands. "But first things first we need to head to Ionia."

To this, Graves furrowed his brows in puzzlement. "What business do you have over there? Honestly Fate you have a lot to answer for..."

"In time I'll explain everything to you. If I told you now you'd just keep asking questions" Twisted Fate told the male as they both began to walk side by side outside of the hideout. As they wandered the quiet and dangerous streets of Bilgewater, Fate couldn't help but sniff the air. He smiled to himself as the aroma of sea water and cool air filled his nostrils. It was the same as he had remembered it. In a way he was pleased to be returning to his birthplace to meet with his old friend but at the same time he felt conflicted.

Lighting his cigar, Graves let out an approving grunt. "You haven't changed at all since we last talked. Although I'm assuming you haven't exactly done anything major since our last heist."

The cardmaster nodded, recalling the day that they had attempted their previous heist. It was the one thing he didn't particularly like to discuss considering it had ended in failure and left the friendship between the two men bitter. Yet here they were, talking plainly as though the day hadn't happened at all. "Nah I haven't really done anything at all. At least nothing big. A few tricks to fool some punks here and now but other than that I haven't done anything enough to catch the attention of the authorities" Fate replied as he glanced around his birth place, admiring the area a way a foreigner would.

Graves couldn't help but snicker. "Ah come on Tobias you haven't been gone that long. Don't be looking at everything with those awe stricken eyes. Besides things have been pretty rough lately."

"How so?" the cardmaster turned to look at his friend, giving him a look of confusion. It didn't seem to him that anything was wrong-in fact the island looked fine. The other male let out a sigh as he rubbed the back of his neck and then took his cigar away from his lips. "Well let's just say a certain red headed bounty hunter and a big shot pirate man have been at each others throats the past weeks and I end up getting in the crossfire on a few occasions."

"Miss Fortune and Gangplank? How exactly is it you have bad enough luck to run into their quarrels that often?" Fate asked with a slight smirk on his face. "Trust me Tobias, if I knew I'd gladly have stopped something by now" Graves replied, rolling his eyes in annoyance. The pair would continue their conversation for nearly an hour as they strolled out of Bilgewater and made their way to Ionia. For once the cardmaster didn't feel the need to use his ability Destiny. He enjoyed his time with Graves quite honestly.

After some time the pair of ex crime partners arrived at their destination. "Here we are. The island nation of Ionia" Fate spoke out with a nod as he admired the massive and beautiful location they now were in. He normally didn't visit often but each time he did he couldn't help but smile. Ionia was a definite place of beauty and nature, that much was obvious. Graves let out a whistle as he rubbed his chin and gazed upon the enormous waterfalls and scenery. "Not gonna lie Tobias this place sure is a sight to behold."

"That much is true. But I didn't come for the scenery" Fate replied as he continued his walk, heading in a very specific direction in hopes that the champion he was searching for was around. "That's right you haven't exactly told me who we're searching for yet" Malcolm grunted as he puffed out smoke from his cigar.

As though not exactly certain himself of the name, Twisted Fate still decided to answer. "Jax."

At this, Graves nearly spat out his cigar. "Jax? _The_ Jax? Not that I have anything against the guy but why him? What makes you think a guy like him has time for us anyways?"

Twisted Fate shrugged and tipped his hat slightly as though trying to hide his eyes. "Honestly I don't know. The reason I need him is simple-you've heard the rumors of how strong he is. And if anyone can lessen our load on this journey, its him."

"Still doesn't answer my question of why he'd help us" Graves replied with a sigh as he shook his head. "We're just a couple of criminal punks who go around stealing what we want, when we want." Although the cardmaster didn't say a word he knew that Graves was right. Even so, he had to try. It was his job to beat odds with a gamble anyways.

In the depths of Ionia under a waterfall was a certain cave. The cave in particular was one highly whispered about as it was said to be where the mysterious champion known as Jax went to train and meditate. No one had ever dared entered the cave because of the rumors surrounding his immeasurable strength. Surprisingly the rumors were all true. On this peaceful sunny day at Ionia, the mystery champion was spending time under the waterfall inside the cave.

Sitting in a cross legged fashion, Jax held his brass lamppost across his lap as he stared ahead, peacefully meditating. The sound of the calm water rushing down from outside could be heard along with the gentle breeze that whistled along the male's ears. It took a moment but the mysterious male turned his head to the side, clutching his lamppost tightly as though hearing a slight change in the atmosphere. "Is this meeting out of business or is it just personal?" Jax asked casually although his body language told that he was in a position where he was prepared for anything.

"Suppose you could call it business. I personally have nothing against you after all" Fate replied as he approached the sitting male with Graves at his side. "So then gentlemen, how is it you wanna do this? One at a time or you both gonna come at me? I have no problem either way" Jax said as he stood up and twirled the lamppost in his hand with ease.

"You're mistaken. We didn't come here to fight you" the cardmaster explained as he raised his arms. "Oh? Then by all means what is it you want? I hardly get visits from people who don't wanna fight" the grandmaster at arms spoke out, lowering his lamppost. Glancing at each other, the pair of ex criminals shrugged and decided to tell Jax since it appeared they had nothing to lose. "Alright well look...I got a situation I'm in and I could use a guy like you. Where we're headed ain't exactly the safest place ever" Fate explained, attempting to persuade the mysterious champion to join them. For a moment Jax said nothing as though trying to weigh in whether or not it would be worth it. "Yeah alright I think I could spare the time to help you lot out. But I must warn you, my price is rather hi-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Fate tossed a bag filled with gold coins at Jax's feet as though he had expected this out of the champion. The mysterious male chuckles quietly, shaking his head as he picks up the bag of gold. "Seems you already know me quite well, cardmaster" Jax spoke out as he stood up and grabbed his lamppost that was at his feet. Graves was in shock at how soon it had taken to get the grandmaster at arms to join so quickly. As he glanced over at Fate, he caught the smirk on his face-almost as though everything were going according to plan for him.

Meanwhile on the Shadow Isles, the frost archer aka Ashe was sitting on the cold hard floor of a prison cell glancing towards the stone brick wall ahead of her. She remembered falling unconscious after she had tried to call for help but everything after that was a blur. She had awoken in the cell and no one had come down to tell her anything during that time. The only source of light in the cell was coming from the small window above her. Ashe had attempted to reach for it but it was simply too far up and too small to crawl out of.

With a sigh, the female turned her head to the side. _Surely the people of Freljord have noticed I'm gone by now. They no doubt are coming for me...Yes that's right. They'll find me._

"Trust me when I say this, no one's coming for ya."

Jumping slightly, Ashe quickly turns her head towards the prison bars to see the Chain Warden himself standing before her on the opposite side. "Where am I and what is this?" the female demanded, her eyes narrowing as she saw how pleased the undead male looked. "Where are you? The Shadow Isles, of course! Home sweet home! Hehe...and as for what this is, even if I knew I wouldn't tell you. I'm just following orders. Mordekaiser wants you kept away so I locked you up here" Thresh replied as he shrugged his shoulders casually. "So you're keeping me here and you don't even know why?" Ashe asked with a cold glare on her face.

"Pretty much," the chain warden chuckled quietly as he swung his scythe around happily. "But I'm not complaining! I enjoy doing such things, it keeps me entertained."

"You're just a puppet then. A mere tool being used by Mordekaiser. You serve him blindly like a mindless fool" Ashe told him, doing her best to anger him. At hearing the words, the smile on the male's face faded and was replaced with a scowl. "Watch your mouth. Just because you're queen of Freljord doesn't allow you to use bold words."

Smirking, the silver haired female continued on. "Surely you already know. Mordekaiser is just using you. After he gets what he wants you'll just be killed and tossed away since you'll be of no further use to him."

"Listen here you whore!" Thresh spat out as he clutched the cell bars tightly, his flames enlarging as he grew more and more angered. When Ashe said nothing, the warden growled lowly. "Mordekaiser said I was to leave you be but I don't mind leaving a few scars where he can't see...besides, this is my prison after all. He won't see or know of this!"

As though realizing she had made a mistake, Ashe felt her heart stop. The male was searching for the key to the cell that was chained around his body. As he found the key, he unlocked the cell and stormed in clutching his scythe tightly. "W-Wait..." Ashe uttered quietly as she began to back away until her back pressed up against the wall so she could no longer move. "I'm going to take my time with you. I'll cut you up nice and slow! Let you feel every precious second as I break your soul and body" Thresh boasted as he grabbed Ashe by her hair and pulled as hard as he could.

Gasping, Ashe flailed about trying to break free of the male's hold but found her resistance to be close to useless. "Oh what are you crying about, I haven't even cut you yet" the warden spoke sadistically as he brought his scythe down by the female's neck. "P-Please...Thresh don't" the female pleaded as she shut her eyes and shivered.

"You really think begging will help your case? Bah! You're more foolish than you look, queen!" Thresh cackled with laughter, tilting his head back, the stitches on his face almost tearing from his wide grin. He stopped laughing almost immediately however and stood up straight as though feeling another presence in the room. "I told you to stay in my bedroom, Sona" the male muttered quietly, his gaze still on Ashe.

Glancing past the warden, the female archer could see the mute maven, Sona standing in the doorway. Ignoring Thresh's words, the blue haired female wandered into the room until she got to the cell. Turning around, the undead warden sighed. "Sona, what do you think you're doing? I'm busy right now, can't you see that?"

Looking at the warden, Sona gives a worried expression. "Tch...what? You know this is what I do, don't give me that damn look" Thresh spat out as he glared at the maven. Walking up to the male calmly, the mute female places her hand on his shoulder and shakes her head. Ashe was almost shocked at how the two interacted-it was almost as though they both had a mutual care for each other. With a loud groan, Thresh released Ashe and turned to escort Sona out of the cell room. Before the exited however, the warden cocked his head to look at Ashe. "This isn't over. I'll be back." With that, he walked out closing the door behind him and leaving the frost archer to her own thoughts.

 _There's no way I'm escaping this nightmare, is there...?_


	5. Chapter 5

The four legged centaur wandered through the dark and tampered forest residing in the Shadow Isles. Mordekaiser had given him the order to meet a certain individual whom he had deemed worthy for their cause.

"Where is this so called mystery champion? They're making a fool of me" Hecarim muttered angrily as he continued wandering. He had already been searching for several minutes so it was understandable why he was irritated. Almost immediately after he had spoken however, a light chuckle could be heard coming directly behind him.

Turning around, the Shadow of War raised his massive weapon, pointing it at the stranger poised on top of a nearby boulder. "State your name and perhaps I'll grant you a painless death" Hecarim boasted with a scowl spread across his face. It was obvious that the male was in no mood to deal with games. "Ah but revealing my name this soon wouldn't suffice. Indeed, it would only prevent my stage debut from having any real meaning" came the voice of the male figure who appeared to be polishing his sidearms atop the boulder.

Taking a step forward, Hecarim straightened up as he realized whom he was dealing with. It was none other than the psychopathic criminal known as Jhin. "Tch...so you did decide to show up" the centaur spoke coldly as he lowered his weapon, seeing that the person before him was the one whom Mordekaiser had wanted him to meet with. "Why of course, I wouldn't miss this meeting for anything else in the world" Jhin replied soothingly. His calm tone strangely enough irritated Hecarim. Even so he knew he had to address the situation and fill in the assassin on their job. "Since you actually came I suppose I should fill you in on why Lord Mordekaiser requires you. Since we've taken the queen of Freljord captive, its up to you to deal with any intruders."

The masked male ponders for a moment, twirling around the gun in his hand. "Hmm...seems fun and all but what's in it for me?"

"Tch...you dare ask such a question! Be glad Mordekaiser doesn't have your head right now!" Hecarim yells out, clenching his fists as his hooves began paving into the dirt as though preparing to charge the assassin. Instead of being intimidated however, Jhin merely laughs. "Oh please. Mordekaiser is the one who sent for me to begin with. I doubt he would be so quick to dispose of the only assassin wishing to cooperate."

"Well then what is it you want? Money?" the centaur begins questioning as he glares fiercly at the masked male. Shaking his head, Jhin stares down the barrel of his gun. "I only wish for one thing. That I'm free to do as I wish to anyone who stands in my way. I'm sure you understand. Art requires a certain...cruelty" the male says as his eyes under his mask glanced towards Hecarim, giving him a cold stare. "Hmph...very well. Do as you will with those who come your way. I don't care what you do as long as you provide results and don't endanger Mordekaiser" the centaur replies sharply, folding his arms.

A long distance away from the Shadow Isles were a group of individuals whom appeared to be having...inner conflicts to say the least.

With a sigh, Twisted Fate rubs the back of his neck. "Come on you two, cut it out...If I knew you'd be like this I wouldn't have asked ya to join me."

"Tsk...what did you expect? This man is my rival. The only one I've yet to defeat" Fiora replied, her blade raised and pointed directly towards the grandmaster at arms-Jax.

The grandmaster Jax couldn't help but chuckle as he raised his lamppost in an offensive position. "Yeah alright kid if you want to fight I can do that."

"Morons! Have you forgotten why we came for ye? Pull yourselves together! This isn't the time for this!" Graves yelled out in a tone much more hostile than Fate's. The male had just about had it with Fiora and Jax getting at each other's throats thus his reason for the sudden outburst.

At hearing Graves yell, the pair glance his way and lower their weapons. "Tch...we'll settle this after the mission, _conard"_ Fiora muttered as she returned her blade at her hilt. Jax couldn't help but laugh as he nodded briefly and relaxed himself. "Yeah sure, whatever you say kid. I'll take you on anytime."

Graves let's out a sigh as he rubs his temple and shakes his head. "Tobias I know I agreed to help you out but the allies you're brining along are more trouble than they're worth."

"Perhaps. But they're the only ones I trust enough to follow through without bailing on me" Twisted Fate explained as he tipped his hat and then crossed his arms to stare at his apparent allies. Hearing his ex partner in crime's comment made Graves grit his teeth in sudden anger. "Afraid of getting bailed on huh? Sure is ironic isn't it?"

For a moment the cardmaster gave him a puzzled look but then realized what he meant and sighed. "Come on Malcolm, I thought we were past this..."

Before Graves could speak, the grand duelist decided to finally ask the question that everyone was wondering. "Fate, what exactly are you dragging us all into? You haven't exactly given me much help with your vague hints."

The male folded his arms and clicked a card between his fingers. "Didn't I tell you enough already? I told you that if you came you'd be able to exact your vengeance and honor with Thresh-"

"But then why are _they_ here! _Imbecile_! If it were just that, they obviously would have no means of coming would they? Now quit dodging my question and answer at once or I leave right now" Fiora demanded as she stomped her foot on the ground and glared up at the cardmaster. No one said a word after Fiora had made her demand clear. Fate stood there dazed and in shock that the duelist was that willing to leave if he didn't reveal his true intentions. It was a minor miscalculation on his part to have assumed she would want to restore her honor without question.

Sighing, the cardmaster removes his hat and fans himself as he shakes his head slowly. "Ya really wanna know so bad? Fine fine. I'll tell you just don't be so damn shocked or anything" he grumbled gloomily as he folded his arms across his chest. Even Graves and Jax were eyeing the cardmaster with curiosity since they hadn't exactly been told the details of the mission either, thus all eyes were upon Fate.

Although there was a brief pause, Twisted Fate kept his end of the deal and eventually began to reveal to everyone what he planned to do. "Alright look...someone I've taken an interest in got taken. Kidnapped. Now I dunno what their intentions are but chances are it's nothing good considering the kidnappers are folks from the Shadow Isles."

"So this is a rescue mission? That's what this is? Who could possibly be worth enough to cause Shadow Isles champions to come kidnapping?" Graves asked in utter disbelief of what he had just been told.

"The queen of Freljord apparently" Twisted Fate replied with a shrug. "Ashe" Fiora mumbled quietly in shock at hearing Fate speak.

"So the queen of Freljord has been taken hostage by people from the Shadow Isles? Look pal, I don't know much about this but I don't like this one bit. I'll still join your fight and help but doesn't this whole situation seem a whole lot bigger to you?" Jax began to question.

"What do you mean?" Graves asked, turning his attention to the grandmaster at arms.

"I mean that Shadow Isles champions wouldn't take such a valuable hostage for no reason. I got no clue what their reason is but it can't be good. Ashe is the queen of Freljord so obviously her people have something Mordekaiser and his pals want" Jax explained with his arms crossed, speaking in a rather grim tone.

"For fuck's sake...this whole damn thing really is bigger than us Tobias. Ya really wanna risk your life over her?" Graves muttered quietly to his friend who hadn't said a word since Jax had begun speaking.

"I don't care. I'm gonna save her. I have to" Fate insisted as he turned on his heels and began walking off in the direction of the Shadow Isles.

"Wait a second Tobias! You're risking your life for a girl you hardly know! Why!?"

"Love makes men do stupid things," Fate replied with a light smirk on his face. "Besides you know me...I'm a gambler-a risk taker. It's not like I'm unprepared. I've got an ace up my sleeve and I'm prepared to use it if necessary. I'm saving Ashe with or without you."

And with that the cardmaster continued to walk, leaving the trio behind as they watched him. After several seconds Fiora sighed and began walking after the cardmaster. "Ashe is my friend...besides, the cardmaster promised me Thresh. We have unfinished business."

Soon, Jax too began walking after the others. "Heh...I like them. They're a lively bunch. Should be a good fight, right?" With a chuckle the grandmaster waved at Graves before leaving him behind, alone and distant.

Minutes passed by and Graves still remained still as though unsure what to do. With a groan he shakes his head and begins running the direction Fate had gone. "Damn him. When this is over he better buy me the most expensive beer he can afford..."


	6. Chapter 6

The day was dark and silent. The floor, cold and wet. Ashe's body? Bruised and broken.

The cellars in Thresh's prison were as damp and crude as usual, that was no different. However despite her cries and pleas for the chain warden to stop, he hadn't listened to her during his torture. Even with Sona's brief interventions and attempts to get the Warden to stop he had simply refused to listen to reason.

So there she lay, stripped down naked with cuts and bruises over most of her body as she lay still and silent in the cold cellar floor. After a moment, Ashe began to weep. The warden had done exactly what he said he would, break her. She was at her limit and wanted no more than to be back at Freljord, away from the Shadow Isles.

 _"See ya around darlin"_

Twisted Fate's voice rung in her head and suddenly he was all she was thinking about. Images of the day they had gone to the concert had flooded her mind. The dancing, laughter, and feeling of excitement flooded her very mind. That day had been one of the best days of her life. Next thing she knew, she was thinking about after the concert and how she had hugged Fate. How she had actually deep down wanted to kiss him but didn't have the courage to so could only muster up a hug.

"Fate..." she had managed to whisper, her lips quivering slightly. At this point she had just about given up hope anyone from Freljord would come to rescue her. But her hunch told her that the cardmaster would come. She didn't know why but she felt it was certain.

It was around this same time that just outside the prison, Fate and the others had already arrived on the scene. Hiding by a nearby tree, the cardmaster began to think of a plan.

"Hey hold on a second now Tobias. Why are we here? Isn't this Thresh's prison? What's the chain warden got to do with Mordekaiser's kidnapping?" Graves had begun to protest while he loaded his shotgun and bit down slightly on the cigar in his mouth. Twisted Fate pondered for a moment before turning to answer hi long time friend. "Call it a hunch. I just have a feeling something is going on in there. Besides, I promised Fiora she'd get to even the score with Thresh anyways."

Scoffing, the grand duelist stood and grasped her blade tightly. " _Pardon a moi monsieur,_ I have business to take care of."

"You plan on going in alone, kid? That's not rather smart" Jax spoke up, going to her side. "I don't need your help. I can handle myself. Besides it wouldn't return any honor if I had a two on one handicap over the warden" Fiora muttered quietly as she glared over at the master at arms.

Shrugging, Jax took a step back. "Suit yourself kid."

As Fiora began making her way to the prison, Fate couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. It was rather quiet at the prison, a bit too quiet. Sure maybe the warden was alone after all in the prison but even so something didn't feel right.

By the time Fate did realize his mistake, it was already too late for him to warn Fiora.

A gunshot had rung out throughout the entire area, the sound loud enough to startle Graves and Fate. Although they had managed to hear the shot, it was going nearly too fast for Fate to finish calling out to Fiora.

The duelist had already turned her head in the direction of the bullet and had her sword raised although from the looks of it she wouldn't be able to stop it in time.

Before the bullet could make contact with Fiora however, a lamppost manages to change the course of the bullet as it slightly tips it. It was a surprise to not only Fiora but also Fate and Graves when they saw how fast the grandmaster at arms had moved and reacted to the situation. "Shouldn't have lowered your guard kid. Dangerous people lurking about" Jax grunted as he began to swing his lamppost in a circular fashion while he stared directly at where the shot had been fired from.

"It seems my shot failed. A surprise no doubt but it won't happen again," Jhin spoke out calmly as he loaded his sniper rifle with another high impact bullet. "Your curtain call awaits."

"I didn't need your help" Fiora snapped, her eyes narrowed as she glanced over at Jax who was still staring at Jhin from afar. "Sure ya didn't kid. Now quit complaining and get a move on before he fires again" the grandmaster replies, his gaze cautious and calm as he awaited to hear another shot be fired. Although he couldn't see Jhin, he at least knew the direction he was in.

Stepping out from his hiding spot, Fate began to walk after Fiora much to Graves's confusion. "Tobias, what the hell are ya doing!? Isn't she supposed to go in alone!"

"Call it a hunch Malcolm but something tells me this is the place. Ashe is in here" the male replied confidently. Where his confidence came from to begin with he had no idea but his gut seemed rather determined. With a sigh, Graves shakes his head and follows behind Fate with his shotgun poised in a position where he would be prepared to fire at any second. As the trio descended into the massive prison, Jax let out a chuckle. "Well looks like its just you and me now" he called out loudly so that Jhin could hear.

When no reply came, the grandmaster shook his head and continued to spin around his lamppost. "I've faced many weapons in my days but guns? This'll be fun. Bring it oooon" Jax grunted as he got in a defensive stance awaiting Jhin to make the first move.

By that point, Fate and the others had already infiltrated the prison and were searching desperately for Ashe. The cardmaster couldn't help but grit his teeth in frustration seeing as how they weren't having any luck. "Damn it all. Where the hell could they be hiding her?"

"I'm telling you Tobias, it was a dumb move coming in here. Maybe Thresh really is the only one here after all" Graves told the male as he peeked into a nearby room. But Twisted Fate was already shaking his head, his hands on his deck of cards. "I'm not buying it. If Thresh was here alone why'd someone shoot at us? Since when do Shadow Isles champions use guns like that anyways?" Tobias explained while he began to descend downstairs.

"So what exactly are you getting at? Because obviously you have some idea" Fiora mumbled quietly, walking rather quickly beside the cardmaster. "I'm trying to say that this place is being guarded for some reason. We all came here on the assumption Thresh would be alone but that isn't the case. Somebody got hired by Thresh or one of the Shadow Isles champions to be here" Fate went on to say as they reached the bottom of the stairs.

Graves and Fiora had suddenly exchanged surprised looks, almost as though impressed Fate was able to determine so much from that. Once at the bottom of the stairway, Fate narrows his eyes. The room before them was rather dark, not enough that they couldn't see but enough that they'd have to go forward slowly and carefully so they wouldn't miss anything. "Damn it, I can't see a thing in this place" Fate grunted as he slowly continued to move forward.

Just as they took their next step, Fiora caught sight of an odd object directly to her left. "Move, imbecile!" the duelist snaps as she kicks Fate behind her causing him to stagger back and fall on Graves with a groan. "Just what the hell was that for-" Fate had begun when suddenly green flames had begun to spur from the floor directly in front of them. The flames were turned into a five sided shape-a pentagon.

Fate immediately saw that the flames had missed him thanks to Fiora who had helped keep them out of range. Even so there was no mistake, the flames were one of Thresh's abilities. Cackling with laughter, the chain warden steps forward to reveal himself as he casually walks through his own flames. "We meet again, duelist. A shame I wasn't able to trap your friends inside too but you'll have to do."

Glaring at the undead male, Fiora raises her blade and gets in a stance to prepare for battle. "On guard, _connard_. I won't allow you to bad mouth me again." Thresh couldn't help but laugh at the comment as he shakes his head and twirls around his chained sickle. "We'll just see about that won't we?"

Turning to look at Fate, Fiora motions for him to leave. "Get out of here you fool! I didn't save you so you could lay there like an idiot! Go find Ashe!" she snaps at him before turning her attention back to Thresh. With a sigh, Fate nods and stands up with Graves at his side. "She's right. We gotta go." Soon afterwards both males departed from the room, heading back upstairs in search of the queen of Freljord.

It wasn't long before the males soon found themselves outside of a rather large door that they could only assume was the main room to the prison. before they could open it however, a voice from behind them called out. "Just where do you mortal fools think you're going?"

"Great..." Graves mutters as he turns to see the Shadow of War; Hecarim. With a chuckle, the male grins at Fate. "I suppose this is the part where I tell you to go on without me. That's basically what the others have been doing anyways right, Tobias?"

Fate smirks lightly and nods, patting Graves on his shoulder before pushing the front doors open to go inside. "Halt! You're not allowed in there!" Hecarim barked out, his weapon raised as his hooves stomped furiously on the ground. "Oh nag nag...just shut up and come and stop us" Graves grunts as he raises his shotgun and aims it at the undead centaur male.

Fate couldn't hear what happened next between the two males because the doors he had opened suddenly closed behind him. It was exactly like he thought. Just directly in front of him was none other than Mordekaiser himself.

At his side was Ashe who appeared to have a chained collar on her neck that prevented her from fleeing. "Ah, it appears you've finally arrived cardmaster" the armored male spoke out with a light chuckle as he eyed Fate rather casually as though he weren't a threat.

"You...actually came..." Ashe whispered as her mouth hung open in shock and her eyes began to fill with tears. The male chuckles and tips his hat, flicking his fingers so a golden card was in his hand. "Don't worry darlin' I won't take long. I'll be taking you home with me after I deal with this kind gentleman here."

The silver haired female couldn't help but smile and nod at his words. She didn't know the male as much as she'd imagine but his tone was confident enough that she believed his words. She would be going home after this. She would be alright.

"So then..." Fate grunts as he tips his hat up and raises his card. "How about a game of cards?"


End file.
